book

Windows® 7 for Dummies®

Name: Windows® 7 for Dummies®
Author: Andy Rathbone
ISBN: 9780470497432

by Andy Rathbone

September 2009

Beginner

432 pages

10h 1m

English

For Dummies

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Copyright
About the Author
Author's Acknowledgments
Publisher's Acknowledgments
Introduction
About This BookHow to Use This BookAnd What about You?How This Book Is OrganizedPart I: Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already KnowPart II: Working with Programs and FilesPart III: Getting Things Done on the InternetPart IV: Customizing and Upgrading Windows 7Part V: Music, Movies, Memories (And Photos, Too)Part VI: Help!Part VII: The Part of TensIcons Used in This BookWhere to Go from Here
I. Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know
1. What Is Windows 7?
1.1. What Is Windows 7, and Why Are You Using It?1.2. Should I Bother Switching to Windows 7?1.2.1. Why Vista owners will like Windows 71.2.2. Why Windows XP owners should switch to Windows 71.3. Can My PC Still Run Windows 7?1.4. The Seven Flavors of Windows 7
2. The Desktop, Start Menu, Taskbar, Gadgets, and Other Windows 7 Mysteries
2.1. Being Welcomed to the World of Windows 72.1.1. Fiddling around with user accounts2.1.2. Keeping your account private with a password2.2. Working on the Desktop2.2.1. Cleaning up a messy desktop2.2.2. Jazzing up the desktop's background2.2.3. Dumpster diving in the Recycle Bin2.3. The Start Button's Reason to Live2.3.1. The Start menu's buttons2.3.2. Starting a program from the Start menu2.3.3. Customizing the Start menu2.4. Bellying Up to the Taskbar2.4.1. Shrinking windows to the taskbar and retrieving them2.4.2. Switching to different tasks from the taskbar's Jump Lists2.4.3. Clicking the taskbar's sensitive areas2.4.4. Customizing the taskbar2.4.5. The taskbar's crazy toolbars2.5. A Gaggle of Gadgets2.6. Logging Off from Windows
3. Basic Windows Mechanics
3.1. Dissecting a Typical Window3.1.1. Tugging on a window's title bar3.1.2. Navigating folders with a window's Address Bar3.1.3. Finding the hidden menu bar3.1.4. Choosing the right button for the job3.1.5. Quick shortcuts with the Navigation Pane3.1.6. Working with the Details Pane3.1.7. Moving inside a window with its scroll bar3.1.8. Boring borders3.2. Filling Out Bothersome Dialog Boxes3.2.1. Poking the correct command button3.2.2. Choosing between option buttons3.2.3. Typing into text boxes3.2.4. Choosing options from list boxes3.2.5. Drop-down list boxes3.2.6. Check boxes3.2.7. Sliding controls3.3. Maneuvering Windows Around the Desktop3.3.1. Moving a window to the top of the pile3.3.2. Moving a window from here to there3.3.3. Making a window fill the whole screen3.3.4. Closing a window3.3.5. Making a window bigger or smaller3.3.6. Placing two windows side by side3.3.7. Making windows open to the same darn size
4. Flipping Through Files, Folders, Flash Drives, Libraries, and CDs
4.1. Browsing Your Computer's File Cabinets4.2. Getting the Lowdown on Folders and Libraries4.3. Peering into Your Drives, Folders, and Libraries4.3.1. Seeing the files on a disk drive4.3.2. Seeing what's inside folders4.3.3. Managing a library's folders4.4. Creating a New Folder4.5. Renaming a File or Folder4.6. Selecting Bunches of Files or Folders4.7. Getting Rid of a File or Folder4.8. Copying or Moving Files and Folders4.9. Seeing More Information about Files and Folders4.10. Writing to CDs and DVDs4.10.1. Buying the right kind of blank CDs and DVDs for burning4.10.2. Copying files from or to a CD or DVD4.11. Working with Flash Drives and Memory Cards

II. Working with Programs and Files
5. Playing with Programs and Documents
5.1. Starting a Program5.2. Opening a Document5.3. Saving a Document5.4. Choosing Which Program Opens a File5.4.1. The wrong program loads my file!5.4.2. No program will open my file!5.5. Taking the Lazy Way with a Shortcut5.6. The Absolutely Essential Guide to Cutting, Copying, and Pasting5.6.1. The quick 'n' dirty guide to cut 'n' paste5.6.2. Selecting things to cut or copy5.6.3. Cutting or copying your selected goods5.6.4. Pasting information to another place5.7. Windows 7's Free Programs!5.7.1. Writing letters with WordPad5.7.2. Converting, adding, and balancing with Calculator5.7.3. Finding symbols like © with Character Map
6. Briefly Lost, but Quickly Found
6.1. Finding Lost Windows on the Desktop6.2. Locating a Missing Program, E-Mail, Song, Document, or Other File6.3. Finding a Missing File inside a Folder6.4. Arranging and Grouping Files6.5. Finding Lost Photos6.6. Finding Other Computers on a Network6.7. Finding Information on the Internet6.8. Saving Your Searches
7. Printing Your Work
7.1. Printing Your Masterpiece7.1.1. Adjusting how your work fits on the page7.1.2. Adjusting your printer's settings7.1.3. Canceling a print job7.1.4. Printing a Web page7.1.5. Troubleshooting your printer
III. Getting Things Done on the Internet
8. Cruising the Web
8.1. What Is the Internet?8.2. What's an ISP, and Why Do I Need One?8.3. Setting Up Internet Explorer the First Time8.4. Navigating the Web with Internet Explorer 88.4.1. Moving from Web page to Web page8.4.1.1. Clicking links8.4.1.2. Typing Web addresses in the Address box8.4.1.3. Using Internet Explorer's toolbar8.4.2. Making Internet Explorer open to your favorite site8.4.3. Revisit favorite places8.4.4. Finding things on the Internet8.5. The Web Page Says It Needs a Weird Plug-In Thing!8.6. Saving Information from the Internet8.6.1. Saving a Web page8.6.2. Saving text8.6.3. Saving a picture8.6.4. Downloading a program, song, or other type of file8.7. It Doesn't Work!8.8. Removing Unneeded Plug-Ins8.9. The Pages Won't All Fit on My Screen8.10. Internet Explorer Now Fills My Entire Screen!
9. Sending and Receiving E-Mail
9.1. Understanding E-Mail Options in Windows 79.1.1. Web-based e-mail9.1.2. PC-based e-mail programs9.2. Installing Windows Live Mail9.3. Setting Up Windows Live Mail9.4. Sending and Receiving E-Mail in Windows Live Mail9.4.1. Composing and sending an e-mail9.4.2. Reading a received e-mail9.5. Sending and Receiving Files through E-Mail9.5.1. Attaching a file or files to an e-mail9.5.2. Saving an attached file9.5.3. Embedding photos in an e-mail9.5.4. Saving embedded photos9.6. Managing Your Contacts9.7. Reducing Your Spam
10. Safe Computing
10.1. Understanding Those Annoying Permission Messages10.2. Assessing Your Safety in the Action Center10.2.1. Changing the firewall settings10.2.2. Changing Windows Update settings10.2.3. Avoiding viruses10.3. Staying Safe on the Internet10.3.1. Avoiding evil add-ons and hijackers10.3.2. Avoiding phishing scams10.3.3. Avoiding and removing spyware and parasites with Windows Defender10.4. Setting Up Parental Controls
IV. Customizing and Upgrading Windows 7
11. Customizing Windows 7 with the Control Panel
11.1. Finding the Right Switch in the Control Panel11.2. System and Security11.3. User Accounts and Family Safety11.4. Network and Internet11.5. Changing Windows 7's Appearance (Appearance and Personalization)11.5.1. Changing the desktop background11.5.2. Choosing a screen saver11.5.3. Changing the computer's theme11.5.4. Changing the screen resolution11.6. Hardware and Sound11.6.1. Adjusting volume and sounds11.6.2. Installing or setting up speakers11.6.3. Adding a printer11.6.4. Installing or adjusting other computer parts11.6.4.1. Mouse11.6.4.2. Scanners and Cameras11.6.4.3. Keyboard11.6.4.4. Windows Mobility Center11.7. Clock, Language, and Region11.8. Adding or Removing Programs11.8.1. Removing or changing programs11.8.2. Adding new programs11.8.3. Add/remove parts of Windows 711.9. Modifying Windows 7 for the Physically Challenged
12. Keeping Windows from Breaking
12.1. Creating a Restore Point12.2. Tuning Up Windows 7 with Built-In Maintenance Tools12.2.1. Backing up your computer12.2.2. Finding technical information about your computer12.2.3. Freeing up space on your hard drive12.2.4. Empowering your power button12.2.5. Setting up devices that don't work (fiddling with drivers)12.3. Cleaning Your Mouse
13. Sharing One Computer with Several People
13.1. Understanding User Accounts13.2. Setting Up or Changing User Accounts13.3. Switching Quickly between Users13.4. Sharing Files among Account Holders13.5. Changing a User Account's Picture13.6. Setting Up Passwords and Security
14. Connecting Computers with a Network
14.1. Understanding a Network's Parts14.2. Setting Up a Small Network14.2.1. Buying parts for a network14.2.2. Installing a wired network14.3. Connecting Wirelessly14.3.1. Setting up a wireless router or access point14.3.2. Setting up Windows 7 to connect to a wireless network14.4. Setting Up a Homegroup14.5. Sharing Files within a Homegroup14.5.1. Choosing what items to share in a Homegroup14.5.2. Accessing what others have shared14.6. Connecting to and Sharing Files with Windows XP and Windows Vista PCs14.6.1. Letting older PCs notice your Windows 7 PCs14.6.2. Accessing a Windows 7 PC's shared files from an older PC14.6.3. Accessing a Windows XP or Vista PC's shared files from your Windows 7 PC14.7. Sharing a Printer on the Network14.8. Troubleshooting a Network
V. Music, Movies, Memories (And Photos, Too)
15. Playing and Copying Music in Media Player
15.1. Stocking Media Player's Library15.2. Browsing Media Player's Libraries15.3. Controlling Your Now Playing Items15.4. Playing CDs15.5. Playing DVDs15.6. Playing Videos and TV Shows15.7. Playing Music Files (MP3s and WMAs)15.8. Creating, Saving, and Editing Playlists15.9. Ripping (Copying) CDs to Your PC15.10. Burning (Creating) Music CDs15.11. Copying Songs to Your Portable Player15.12. Working with Media Center15.12.1. Browsing Media Center's menus15.12.2. Getting the most out of Media Center
16. Fiddling with Photos and Movies
16.1. Using Your Computer as a Digital Shoebox16.1.1. Dumping the camera's photos into your computer16.1.2. Browsing your photos in the Pictures library16.1.3. Viewing a slide show16.1.4. Copying digital photos to a CD or DVD16.1.5. E-mailing photos16.1.6. Printing pictures16.1.7. Fixing photos with Windows Live Photo Gallery16.1.7.1. Installing Windows Live Photo Gallery16.1.7.2. Adjusting photos automatically16.1.7.3. Straightening photos16.1.7.4. Cropping photos16.1.7.5. Removing red-eye16.2. Creating a DVD Movie or Slide Show with Windows DVD Maker16.3. Creating, Editing, and Viewing Digital Movies16.3.1. Step 1: Import video, pictures, and music16.3.2. Step 2: Edit your movie16.3.3. Step 3: Save your edited movie
VI. Help!
17. The Case of the Broken Window
17.1. Windows 7 Keeps Asking Me for Permission17.2. I Need System Restore to Fix My PC17.3. I Need to Retrieve Deleted or Damaged Files17.3.1. Undeleting accidentally deleted files17.3.2. Retrieving previous versions of files and folders17.4. My Settings Are Messed Up17.5. I Forgot My Password17.6. My Folder (Or Desktop) Doesn't Show All My Files17.7. My Mouse Doesn't Work Right17.8. My Double-Clicks Are Now Single Clicks17.9. I Can't Run Older Programs under Windows 717.10. I Can't Find the Folder Menus17.11. My Computer Is Frozen Up Solid
18. Strange Messages: What You Did Does Not Compute
18.1. Activate Windows Now18.2. Could Not Perform This Operation Because the Default Mail Client Is Not Properly Installed18.3. Device Driver Software Was Not Successfully Installed18.4. Do You Trust This Printer?18.5. Do You Want to Allow the Following Program to Make Changes to This Computer?18.6. Do You Want to Install (Or Run) This Software?18.7. Do You Want to Save Changes?18.8. Do You Want to Turn AutoComplete On?18.9. Find an Antivirus Program Online18.10. Installing Device Driver Software18.11. Set Up Windows Internet Explorer 818.12. View Important Messages18.13. Windows Can't Open This File18.14. You Don't Currently Have Permission to Access This Folder
19. Moving from an Old Computer to a New Windows 7 PC
19.1. Preparing to Move into Your New PC19.1.1. Choosing how to transfer your old information19.1.2. Installing your old PC's programs onto your new PC19.2. Transferring Information Between Two PCs with Windows Easy Transfer19.2.1. Transferring through an Easy Transfer cable19.2.2. Transferring through a network19.2.3. Transferring through a portable hard drive or flash drive19.2.4. Picking and choosing the files, folders, and accounts to transfer19.3. Disposing of Your Old Computer
20. Help on the Windows 7 Help System
20.1. Consulting a Program's Built-In Computer Guru20.2. Finding the Information You Need in Windows Help and Support Center20.3. Summoning the Windows 7 Troubleshooters
VII. The Part of Tens
21. Ten or So Things You'll Hate about Windows 7 (And How to Fix Them)
21.1. I Can't Stand Those Nagging Permission Screens21.2. I Can't Copy Music to My iPod21.3. The Menus All Disappeared21.4. The "Glass" Effects Slow Down My PC or Laptop21.5. My Quick Launch Toolbar Is Gone!21.6. Windows Makes Me Log On All the Time21.7. The Taskbar Keeps Disappearing21.8. I Can't Keep Track of Open Windows21.9. I Can't Line Up Two Windows on the Screen21.10. It Won't Let Me Do Something Unless I'm an Administrator!21.11. I Don't Know What Version of Windows I Have21.12. My Print Screen Key Doesn't Work21.13. I Can't Upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows XP!
22. Ten or So Tips for Laptop Owners
22.1. Adjusting Your Laptop's Settings Quickly22.2. Choosing What Happens When You Close Your Laptop's Lid22.3. Adjusting to Different Locations22.3.1. Changing your time zone22.3.2. Connecting to a wireless Internet hotspot22.3.3. Dialing a modem from a new location22.4. Backing Up Your Laptop Before Traveling
A. Upgrading to Windows 7
A.1. Preparing for Windows 7A.2. Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7A.3. Installing Windows 7 Over Windows XP

Content preview from Windows® 7 for Dummies®

Part V. Music, Movies, Memories (And Photos, Too)

In this part . . .

Up until now, the book has covered the boring-but-necessary stuff: adjusting your computer so that you can get your work done. This part of the book lets you turn your computer into an entertainment center:

Watch DVDs on your PC or laptop.
Create greatest hits CDs for your car stereo.
Organize a digital photo album from your digital camera.
Edit camcorder videos into something people want to watch.
Create DVDs to display your edited movies or photo slide shows.

When you're ready to play for a while, flip to this part of the book for a helping hand.

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.

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Windows® 7 for Dummies®

by Andy Rathbone

Part V. Music, Movies, Memories (And Photos, Too)

In this part . . .

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.